Applicator



Patented Apr. 17, 1945 APPLICATOR Emory W. Worthington, Chicago, Ill.

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in applicator type containers as well as to a novel form of applicator therefor. Devices of the present invention are specially suited to the applicationof plastic or viscous materials such as 'lip rouge, unguents, etc., to soft yielding. surfaces such as the lipsor other part of the body. 1'

Application May 10, 1943, SerialyNo. 486,390,

Generally stated, the object. of the present I invention is to provide a device of the type indicated embodying a novel arrangementfor presenting the, material for easy application with out excessive rubbing but which at the same time retains the material against smearing and Idaubing. .f

More specifically, it is an object of theinvention to provide such a device employing an applicator surface of intagliated or pocketediform and throughout which are distributeda: plurality of small openings through which thematerial is extruded, whereby thematerial isnot only presented at distributedpoint's (by the severalopenings) for application, but in addition theintagl- 'iations or pockets pickup the. excess material as the applicator'iswiped across the surfac to which it is being applied and present it, or represent it, for application, while at the same time confining it in a laterabdirection. to the area of the applicator surface.

. The invention also resides in'various structural improvements in the device by means ofwhi'ch refilling, cleaningand ease of manufacture are accomplished. 1 1 3 Further objects and advantages of the inventionwillbecome apparent as the following description proceeds, takeniin connection with'the accompanying drawing inwhich: i v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an applicator type container (with cap removed) embodying the invention. 1

Fig. 2 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectional view of .the device. of Fig.1. I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view showing particularly the detail of the active end face of the applicator.

end. face of the applicatortip of the device of Figs. 4and 5. I r

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown. in thedrawing'and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment'butit is to be understood that Ldo not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit pressing the contents of the chamberfrom the and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the first embodiment of the invention herein illustrated (Figs. 1 to 3) the device is shown as comprising a generally tubular body It desirably madeofmolded plastic or synthetic resin. This body I0 definesaa generally cylindrical inner chamber- II for. receiving a reserve supply of lip rouge, unguent or other soft, extrudable material which is to --be applied by the applicator. Refilling of the same is facilitated by provision of an applicator tip H which is removably threaded to one end of the body It; When the applicator itipisunscrewed a fresh stick of the-"lip rouge or the like maybe inserted into the chamber I l.

A cup-shaped cap l3is telescoped over the, appli cator tip l2 and serves to protect the same when not in use. The applicator tip, like the body 19, may be made of molded plastic, while the cap [3 is desirably made as a sheet metal stamping.-

, Within the chamber H is a plunger 14 for exapplicator tip. In the present instance the plunger comprises a sheet metal thimble or cup Mashaped to form a helical thread Mb on .its periphery, mating. with threads. Illa within themember l0. Torevolve the plunger It, for screwing it endwisewithin the-body In, a cup shaped finger-piece ,l 5, fashioned as 'a sheet metal iii stamping, is provided at the outer end of the body. This finger-piece is revolubly fitted on a reduced end portion of the body In and is'staked to the outer end of a pin 16 projecting within the body and having a "collar IGa rigid therewith for 5 preventing endwise displacement of the pin. A

pin 16 thus has, in effect, spline connection with angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of thebody Ill and of the applicator tip. Such angular position of the active face of the applicator tip makes it possible to hold the device beneath the mouth while rubbing the surface I! across the lips, so that the user has a free view of. the operation while applying lip rouge or' the like to the lips. A plurality of small passages It, preferably of the order of 0 008to p.015 inch in diameter, extend longitudinally through the applicator tip from the chamber l l to the applicator face l1,

use in metered increments at the applicator face In order to retain the material IS, in a lateral direction, within the borders of the applicator face I! and'aid in its application, the face I1 is covered by shallow pockets or intagliations. In the device of Figs. 1 to 3 the face I! is intagliated in a cellular pattern, having therein shallow pockets I Id of generally rectangular form. Preferably these pockets Ila are of a depth of 0.003 to 0.009 inch. The ratio of the width of the pooh, ets to the width of the lands between them may be about two to one and in such case, the pockets may be from, 0.005 tov 0.010 inch. on a side, While the lands may be 0.002 to 0.005 inch in width. The suggested dimensions indicate. the order. of magnitude which is particularly suited for use in applying lip rouge. The cellular pattern of in.-

tagliations shown is similar to those used in photosravure etching and, in terms of size for the latter, corresponds to- 65 to 130 line; screens.v

and carried along bythe pockets liar. in this way, smearing or daubing of the lip; rouge is prevented, since any of it on the applicator itself is confined within the'boltders of the surfacet't.

Consequently, it isv possible to paintthe. material with nicety and precision on the particular area desired and without-excessive pressure orrubbing. The intagllated surface; ll smooths; and distributes the material evenly over the surface to which 1 it is being applied. V

InFigs. 4 to: 6. a mqdified fQ im of; device has been shown which embodies the present invention. It differs, from. the; device, of Figs.- 1. to, 3. primarily in thata different; form. of intagliationhas i been. u dfcr the actiye, surface of; the applicator, and also, in that; a diifercnt form or container, in case a; ccllansible tube, is provided. The form of device shown. in Eigs 4 to; G is. perhaps better suited o the. use of unguents orother Lil med c n pr parations sin e it; embodies a form I of container more familiar in merchandisingtha-t line of goods and which does nothave the artistic ap l f t d ice of.- Eigs. to3, ;the atter bein better suitedto cosmetics.

In particular, the device 015, Files 4 to 6 com;- prises a enerally tub lar dy cntainerin the form of a collapsible tube 20 which terminates in a threaded nipple 21... On this nipple 2;! isremovably threaded an applicator tip. 22, preferably made'ofmolded plastic, or synthetic, resin. In this instance the applicator tip. 22 is of enerally cylindrical shape and terminates in an outer or active end fac 23 lying tan, acute angle to th long tudinal 'axisof thebody 20, just as. in the case-of e ppl cator. face 1,1 of thede ce of.- i'i s. 1 to 3., heretofore described. .Within the applicator tip 22. is a central passage 24, registering with the axial passage in the. nipple; 2|, and terminating in a plurality of small passages 25 that open into the applicator face 23 (see Fig. 6), these passages 25 being of the same order of magnitude, as to size, as the passage 18 heretofore described in connection. with; the deyiceof Figs. 1 to 3. A friction fitted cup-shaped cap, 26; is, removably telescoped over the applicator tip 22, to protect the same when not in use.

The face 23 of the applicator tip 22 is intagliated by a plurality of generally elliptical grooves 21 and. it will be noted that the passages 25 open into the roots of these grooves. Again, these intagliations or grooves are preferably about 0.003 to 0.009 inch in depth and about 0.005 to 0.010

' inch in width. In this instance the lands between the grooves are shown as being approximately equal in width to the grooves. The lntagliations or grooves 21 retain the excessmaterial and present it for applicationv in substantially the same manner as that heretofore described in connection with the device ofFi'gs. I to 3.

It will be observed that in both of the applicator devices herein described the applicator surface is made of material which will not permanently deform under the pressure normally applied in use so that the user need make no compensation for change in surface contour as would be the case in using an ordinary crayon type lipstick. Since the surface remains fixed in contour and area, the material can be. applied with greater precision and definition. In addition, the material being applied can be softer and more plastic than in the. case, of a crayon type lipstick,'since it is. supported and retained in position by the applicator itself, so that a lip rouge. or the like can be. used which adheres'more smoothly an evenly to the. lips.

I- claim as my invention:

1'. An applicator type container for soft plastic materials comprising a generally tubular body defining a. chamber for retaininga reserve supply of the material, an, applicator tip on one end of said body, said tip terminating in an outer end face defined by a'plane intersecting the same at an acute angle with respect t the; longitudinal axis of said body, said tip having. passages therein terminating in a plurality of small openings disposed at spaced-points in said face, meansineluding a plunger in said chamber for extruding plastic material from such chamber through. said passages, said face of the applicator tip being intagliated throughout substantially its entire area and the intagliations each having abrupt side walls on the sides thereof adjacentthe lateral side edges, of said end' face for shearing off the material as it is pulled from the intagliations upon wiping of; said end face from. sidetQ -side across a surface. i

2. An applicator particularly adapted for application; of plastic material, with a high degree of precision: as to the area covered, to. asoftyielding surface such as the lips, comprising a member presenting a generally flat; face having passages therein terminating in. a plurality of small: openings in said face through, which the material to be applied may be-extruded; and said. face being EMORY WoarHr-no'rou f 

